I really just don’t understand…

Pappa P

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
44
The only consistent thing is their their inconsistency. As a team and individually they are all over the place. I have no way of knowing what is going on psychologically or their mindset, but there is absolutely no leadership on the floor. With the mix of former players, transfers, and freshman - no one has stepped up to lead.
 

7979

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
301
Location
Nashville
it is 100% a coaching issue. Damon is very “ not good”… a team with talent enough to beat Duke and UNC cannot lose to Louisville (twice) and to Wake by 40.
our guys aren’t great but only sh*t coaching could produce these results
 

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
Messages
11,509
Location
Marietta, GA
Oh, I'm sure they want to win. Problem is they think they all can do it on their own or they can't synchronize themselves to the music on the page. They sound like an out of tune, and out of sync orchestra.
 

MACHETE

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
89
I don't think I can judge CDS on this first season. Gotta give him at least 3 seasons.

I think he is a very good coach and will need to adapt more to GT. But I thought that about DBo pitching coach too. So I only have hope.
What evidence do you have to suggest that he is a "very good coach"? Are you paying attention??
 

Ramble1885

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,250
Location
Atlanta
After some time to think, heres my two cents on CDS

1. he needs to get his players in the system before TRULY being judged. Yes, this season (mostly) sucks, but it’s year one. We were picked 13th in the ACC, and we‘re now 15th. So we’re only slightly worse than what we were projected to be.

2. Until then, he needs to be more hands on of a coach. He’s trying to let the players figure it out for themselves and it’s not working. He needs more structure.

3. Cremins wasn’t a great coach, but he was an EXCELLENT recruiter and had a TERRIFIC staff around him. CDS can recruit it seems, but if things don’t work basketball wise, he should get better assistants to draw up the plays for him. Paster had an absolute GEM in Eric Reveno.
 

GTbball2016

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,104
After some time to think, heres my two cents on CDS

1. he needs to get his players in the system before TRULY being judged. Yes, this season (mostly) sucks, but it’s year one. We were picked 13th in the ACC, and we‘re now 15th. So we’re only slightly worse than what we were projected to be.

2. Until then, he needs to be more hands on of a coach. He’s trying to let the players figure it out for themselves and it’s not working. He needs more structure.

3. Cremins wasn’t a great coach, but he was an EXCELLENT recruiter and had a TERRIFIC staff around him. CDS can recruit it seems, but if things don’t work basketball wise, he should get better assistants to draw up the plays for him. Paster had an absolute GEM in Eric Reveno.
Problem with number 2 is it seems this season has gone off the rails, and the coach and most of the players just want it to end. CDS talked a big game coming to GT, just need to see more effort coaching the team.
 

Jacket4Life

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
440
Location
Georgia
After some time to think, heres my two cents on CDS

1. he needs to get his players in the system before TRULY being judged. Yes, this season (mostly) sucks, but it’s year one. We were picked 13th in the ACC, and we‘re now 15th. So we’re only slightly worse than what we were projected to be.

2. Until then, he needs to be more hands on of a coach. He’s trying to let the players figure it out for themselves and it’s not working. He needs more structure.

3. Cremins wasn’t a great coach, but he was an EXCELLENT recruiter and had a TERRIFIC staff around him. CDS can recruit it seems, but if things don’t work basketball wise, he should get better assistants to draw up the plays for him. Paster had an absolute GEM in Eric Reveno.
1000% disagree with Cremins wasn't a good coach.
 

Bogey

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,225
After some time to think, heres my two cents on CDS

1. he needs to get his players in the system before TRULY being judged. Yes, this season (mostly) sucks, but it’s year one. We were picked 13th in the ACC, and we‘re now 15th. So we’re only slightly worse than what we were projected to be.

2. Until then, he needs to be more hands on of a coach. He’s trying to let the players figure it out for themselves and it’s not working. He needs more structure.

3. Cremins wasn’t a great coach, but he was an EXCELLENT recruiter and had a TERRIFIC staff around him. CDS can recruit it seems, but if things don’t work basketball wise, he should get better assistants to draw up the plays for him. Paster had an absolute GEM in Eric Reveno.
I agree with #3. He was a great motivater and cheer leader as well.
 

YlJacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,199
Okay let me elaborate. GREAT coach overall. But in terms of COACHING… average.
At the risk of getting tied up in a syntax argument over what "coaching" means, let me try. Cremmins was an elite recruiter but just as much had a great eye for how talents would fit together. So when you have a Kenny Anderson, Marbury or even a Mark Price - you don't want to run highly structured motion offenses that get the ball out of Kenny's hands for the majority of the possession. You run one or two quick actions and then let - or hopefully help - Kenny get downhill into the paint and let him create in a structure where he knows where all his teammates should be and where the help is likely coming from. That isn't overt "coaching" but it is great and appropriate coaching. And let your staff draw up a specific play when you need one basket and know the flow of the game. FWIW K took this approach when he had Zion - went 5 out and simply let Zion overwhelm defenders from foul line extended.

I am fine calling Cremmins a great coach but that doesn't help with the discussion on this year.

IMHO CDS has a similar vision of GT as Point Guard U as it was in Cremmins heyday. That is his mindset from college and the pros - and the set he put in is designed to be a light structure that gets a PG into the paint and lets him create. Just like what he would want and what they had in Boston with the exception they let the wings Tatum and Brown create off an arguably similar set. And when George can round the corner off the high screen and get into the paint like he did at Duke then really nice things happen - especially for Ndongo who needs that to score. But teams have figured this out and we are now seeing them blow up the action and keep George from being able to get into the lane - Wake with a hard hedge, State and LV by just physically pressuring George too high to be effective. Kelly was able to hide this for 3/4 of the game with creating and making his own shot but he wore down as no one else could create a shot on their own. My beoytch about this year is that I understand the vision CDS has about how he wants to play the offensive end but Naite for all the good things he has been able to do is only a freshman and not the level of talent that can simply beat a defender off the dribble whenever he wants. So a PG focused and dependent structure is going to be and has been hit and miss. This group has shooters and needs more of a VT type of motion structure available to them to move off picks, force defensive rotations and set up advantages for them. Like Paul Johnson, CDS is playing his system from day 1 and he doesn't have a Nesbit. I hope recruits like the system -[ and high end ones will - but it is an issue this year.

On D, I think you can see why Pastner played zone as much as he did. He was able to hide some one on one defensive liabilities which are more pronounced with this year's focus on man and Ndongo not being a great rim protector. I understand and agree with CDS that some of our defensive lapses are on effort and accountability. No doubt. But just as much is talent. And carryovers from frustration on offense which I agree shouldn't happen but do.

To me, I did expect to be better than we are this year and part of that is IMHO on the need for a good not great freshman PG to make things happen (and the mysterious disappearance of the PG we thought would have that role). But the recruiting looks good so far and next year will depend on some portal additions. If CDS has close to the same eye for talent and how they fit as Cremins did we will be fine. If not we have to start looking at Mike Young's more structured approach for help.
 

GT33

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,774
Belicheat was a great coach until Brady left, then not so much. Players plus coaching makes a great coach.

Jury's out on Stoudamire but I'm beginning to question his ability to make lemonade out of all the lemons. We're not Kansas, unc or dook and will probably never have a roster stacked with McD prodigies. He'll likely need the old style GT model, a great player plus 2-3 good players, several role players and a few diamonds in the rough.
 

MtnWasp

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
790
Understand the concern. Everyone wants to see the positive trend lines and this team has tanked. Everyone is panicking because of what that might portend.

But to make a reasonable forecast we are going to need, and are going to get, more data points. Lots of people reject the notion of patience out of hand, but that is what it is going to require.
 

daddee724

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
93

Here are the top 100 players that are freshmen this year. There are not a lot of these guys playing if so the team record isn't that good. Sean Stewart at Duke I believe was an All American, so high school players are not seeing a lot of time their freshman year & being highly effective. The portal has the advantage due to experience may not always be most talented, but definitely more experience & physicality.

Kids now don't know struggle or really have survival skills so expecting them to do something that they lack & publicly humiliating them about will backfire more than less.

Strategically you come up with something that makes your product valuable
 
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